J. F. Campbell Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 3

AUTHENTICITY OF OSSIAn's POEMS. 527
of Ossian never saw, and which from his own silence,
the silence of tradition upon tliat story, and the dis-
tance and obscurity of the place, it is equally certain
he never heard of. In this place can be traced out
the very scene, and the very uncommon names of
that episode, which of all the coUection is perhaps
the least known to a Gaelic antiquary. The island,
to which the traitor Erath beguiled Dura, stiU retains
his name, Inms-Eraith, " the Island of Erath." The
ferry and farm contiguous to it, derive from him
also their name, and about a mile distant from it
is another farm, consisting of an extensive heath
bounded by a large mountain-stream, and still re-
taining, from that unfortunate lady, the name of
Durain, " the stream of Daura." And what further
confirms that this is the scene described by Ossian
is, that several places within sight of it are denomi-
nated from Connal and others of his heroes, whose
names are better known. As nobody can suppose
that the translator of Ossian could thus stumble, by
chance, on names the least common, and places the
least known, so as to make so many circumstances
exactly correspond with his poems, without his ever
knowing it, we must certainly allow this a most con-
founding proof of their authenticity." In another
place Dr. Smith observes, " There is not a district
in the Highlands but what has many places, waters,
isles, caves, and mountains, which are called, from
time immemorial, after the names of Ossian's heroes.
These names are so common, that where I now sit,
not far from Inverary, I could enumerate a long
list in one view, such as Cruach-fhinn, " the hiU of